Chapter 649: Explosive Boni

Beneath the dormant Chimney Mountain, Kainyan Town stands nestled in lush nature.

Though in the Pokémon Emerald game Kainyan Town appears rather “desolate” and crude, in reality it boasts tall modern buildings and hot springs everywhere.

Due to the volcano’s influence, the vegetation here is exceptionally vibrant, with thriving plants surrounding the entire town as if wrapped in Hoenn’s wild nature.

Though not as spacious as a proper city, Kainyan Town stands out among the many towns bearing the name “town.”

This is likely closely tied to its highly developed tourism industry.

As previously mentioned, thanks to its exceptional geography, Kainyan Town has truly realized the concept of “hot springs everywhere,” far beyond the single spring shown in the game.

Walking along the bustling, festival-like streets, the scent of sulfur frequently drifts into the nose; glance toward the source, and you’ll almost always spot a portion of a hot spring, large or small.

Some are private outdoor springs for homes, others are springs provided by inns for guests.

Due to its Japan-like culture, most hot springs here are mixed-gender, but if one feels too embarrassed, there are also springs reserved for single genders or even private use.

But choosing those options comes at a steep price.

Beyond human-used springs, the people of Kainyan Town have not fully monopolized these natural resources.

Most springs located in wild areas beyond the town’s living zone have been deliberately left undeveloped, preserved in their natural state for the wild Pokémon living beneath Chimney Mountain.

Just like the Camerupts carrying Luo Mu and a group of tourists, according to the tour guide leading them, each round-trip from Kainyan City to Kainyan Town ends with the Camerupts heading to wild springs to soak and relax before departing again.

They make two or three round trips daily and can soak in warm waters anytime to wash away fatigue.

As a former 996 slave, Luo Mu once again sighed—he doubted his past life was even worse than these Camerupts’.

Fortunately, his life has been improving day by day.

After all, here he is, on vacation, isn’t he?

He did want to see what the wild Pokémon’s hot springs looked like, which Pokémon soaked in them, and whether they showed any interesting reactions.

But Luo Mu still chose to follow Dr. Lendo’s instructions.

No matter how much he wanted to visit a scenic spot or explore a place, his first task upon arriving in Kainyan Town was to secure lodging.

——As a popular tourist destination, even with money, you might still fail to find a place to stay.

Especially someone like Luo Mu, who had privacy requirements and desired a private, large hot spring pool.

After a moment’s thought,

Ignoring the pushy notification system, Luo Mu—who had always disliked cheating—stopped a kind-faced old woman and asked for directions to “Hot Spring Street.”

Her way of giving directions was quite interesting.

“Young man, follow the largest crowd—you’ll reach Hot Spring Street.”

The old woman, carrying a soft-cloth-covered bamboo basket that clearly had been carefully woven, gave Luo Mu her directions with serious sincerity.

Luo Mu marveled at the wisdom of elders—her words were piercingly accurate—and was about to thank her, but he vastly underestimated the old woman’s enthusiasm for tourists.

“You’re visiting Kainyan Town for the first time, aren’t you?”

“Here, take this—it’s Kainyan Town’s specialty!”

Saying this, she firmly and “skillfully” pulled a pile of items from her basket and shoved them into Luo Mu’s arms.

Luo Mu’s first thought was that he’d encountered the local tourist scam of forced sales.

But when he looked down at what the old woman had given him, he fell silent.

Several packs of well-packaged Kainyan Senbei—Kainyan Town’s specialty—weren’t surprising.

But the moment he saw the other item besides the Kainyan Senbei, Luo Mu fell silent.

——This is… a Poké Ball?

Luo Mu was about to ask what was going on when he realized the old woman had already vanished.

He turned around and saw her standing behind him.

She was being asked for directions again, this time by a young couple dressed as tourists.

She gave the same answer: “Follow the biggest crowd—that’s Hot Spring Street.”

Then came the familiar forced-gift routine—Luo Mu watched as the old woman handed the same Kainyan Senbei and Poké Ball to the couple.

And the couple never turned to ask her about the price.

——It was as if she’d simply liked him, or was genuinely warm-hearted and gave them freely.

Especially when, helplessly, Luo Mu walked toward Hot Spring Street clutching this pile of “gifts.”

He witnessed numerous similar scenes: other kind grandfathers and grandmothers, using the same method, shoving local specialties into bewildered tourists’ arms, occasionally even slipping in a Poké Ball like his.

Luo Mu was thoroughly confused.

Or was this thing that looked like a Poké Ball actually some kind of special hot spring egg?

Carrying this doubt, Luo Mu arrived at the noisy Hot Spring Street and reached his destination: the hot spring inn recommended by Dr. Lendo.

The name: “The Unmelting Ice.” Hard to imagine this was the name of a hot spring inn.

Its decor also clashed with the style of Hot Spring Street.

Unlike typical Japanese-style inns, this one resembled a Western noble’s hot spring inn opened in Japan—a blend of Eastern and Western aesthetics.

Dr. Lendo said he knew the inn’s owner, and even the Elite Four member Genji, who performed in the exhibition match, had been invited through her connections.

But Luo Mu might not meet the owner, since this inn was likely just one of her many businesses in Hoenn.

What Luo Mu needed to do now was simple: though Dr. Lendo had already reserved his room, to avoid complications, he should check in as soon as possible.

As the saying goes, by nightfall, even in the most remote inn in Kainyan Town, you might not find an empty room—even one without a private spring.

You ask about the Pokémon Center?

That place is even harder—no skill or determination, and you won’t even get a bed in the dormitory.

Just as Luo Mu was about to enter the inn, the door opened automatically from within.

This was no automatic door.

Beyond the open doorway, in the entrance hall, a noblewoman with golden hair and a purple long dress smiled at him.

She had opened the door herself.

Her hands, gloved in white silk despite Kainyan Town’s heat, were crossed over her chest, as if expecting his arrival.

“You’ve finally arrived, Luo Mu.”

Her slightly cool voice snapped Luo Mu back to awareness—and made him realize one thing.

——This noblewoman knows me.

If he had to guess, she must be the owner Dr. Lendo mentioned.

Her attire, though oddly out of season, felt strangely familiar to Luo Mu.

“Uh, hello. I’ve reserved a room.”

Luo Mu could only nod in response.

“Of course. I’ve already reserved your room.”

The golden-haired noblewoman nodded lightly, her gaze falling on the pile in Luo Mu’s arms; her elegant eyebrows lifted slightly.

“It seems the local elders consider you a good person—otherwise they wouldn’t have given you so much, even entrusted you with a Poké Ball.”

“And rightly so—even if it wasn’t your affair, you stepped forward during the Lales City incident days ago, turning the tide. With their sharp, seasoned eyes, they could easily see your noble character.”

Luo Mu: “????”

More than her knowing his actions in Lales City, Luo Mu was stunned by her mention of the elders and the Poké Ball.

Wait, is this really a Poké Ball?

As if sensing his shock, the golden-haired noblewoman smiled faintly. “Come in. We’ll talk about this as we walk.”

“—And though it may be late, allow me to introduce myself.”

“I am Boni. As you see, I am the owner of this inn, ‘The Unmelting Ice.’”

“But others prefer to call me—Boni of the Explosion.”

“Coincidentally, I am also a colleague of the admirable Genji, the Elite Four member you defeated three days ago.”

Walking along the elegantly decorated inn corridor, the sturdy wooden floor didn’t creak like the rotting floors of old inns.

Just like the exterior, the interior decor matched perfectly—perhaps this was her personal aesthetic.

Luo Mu quietly studied the noblewoman’s back: she held a lavish fan, seemingly pulled from nowhere, walking gracefully ahead.

Boni—the Ice-type Elite Four member of Hoenn.

Also known as “Boni of the Explosion,” her future Mega Evolved Ice Guardian’s Frozen Skin Explosion attack is all about: even if I lose, you won’t walk away unscathed.

Her flamboyant, aggressive fighting style clashes with her refined, elegant appearance.

Honestly, Luo Mu never expected Dr. Lendo’s acquaintance to be her.

But given her ability to invite someone like Genji, the inn’s name, and her attire, the clues were already there.

The only difference was that Luo Mu hadn’t connected them.

Perhaps the battle in Lales City, where he burned too many brain cells trying to balance the battlefield between Hoenn’s Rayquaza, Shiny Rayquaza, and Deoxys, had dulled his mind.

Luo Mu lowered his head again, looking at the Poké Ball in his arms.

According to Boni, the old woman had judged him worthy of trust and simply handed him the Poké Ball based on instinct.

How she made that judgment remains unclear.

But Boni clearly explained the elders’ motives to Luo Mu.

Because Kainyan Town is an excellent retirement town, most residents are elderly.

They use the town’s unique hot springs to heal their aging bodies and spend their remaining years here.

These elders are usually accompanied by Pokémon they’ve raised since childhood.

Occasionally, among these Pokémon, offspring are born—inevitable, as nature demands.

The elders know their time is short and worry that the Poké Balls hatching after their passing will have no good home.

So they walked along the street of this bustling tourist town, using their experience to judge whether a visitor was worthy of entrusted care.

If unsure, simply offering a few popular local specialties—Fuyan Immortal Crackers—would suffice.

If someone immediately struck them as someone who would treat Pokémon well, they would entrust the Poké Ball to that person.

Of course, the elders didn’t just hand over the Poké Ball and forget about it; to guard against even a one-in-a-million misjudgment, they passed along information through their “village gate intelligence network.”

An old man passing by, or the shopkeeper selling local goods, might quietly be observing your character.

“By the way, though I’m not old yet, I’m also part of the intelligence network~”

Boni paused her steps, turned her head, and let slip a faint, barely noticeable smile as she teased.

Luo Mu: “.”

“Hehehe, don’t worry—I’ll give you a perfect hundred.”

As if amused by Luo Mu’s expression, Boni added with a laugh.

Though she specialized in Ice-type Pokémon, she wasn’t cold or aloof like most Ice-type Trainers.

Luo Mu wasn’t sure during battle, but from this brief time together, he somehow developed the absurd impression that she was a “magnificent, elegant lady.”

“Alright, since you’ve entrusted it to me, I’ll take good care of it—no matter what Pokémon hatches.”

Luo Mu solemnly promised Boni, his gaze softening as he looked at the Poké Ball.

He wasn’t sure if this counted as being moved by the scene.

Luo Mu suddenly thought of Lea, the Trainer of Dragonite Chief.

During her later years, if Dragonite Chief had brought back a Poké Ball, she likely would have felt the same worry as these elders in Fuyan Town: what would become of her Pokémon, and their offspring, after she passed away?

Then she would carefully choose someone worthy, and solemnly entrust the Poké Ball to them.

Boni did not miss the change in Luo Mu’s expression.

Her smile deepened further.

Indeed, not only a very skilled Trainer, but also a good person.

(End of Chapter)